Do you know which country is considered the most bombed nation in the world? Take a guess, is it Afghanistan? Or even Somalia? Perhaps Iraq springs to mind? No, in fact, Lao PDR, Vietnam and Cambodia’s neighbour is widely regarded as the most heavily contaminated country in the world per capita with approximately 80 million unexploded bombs still scarring the country.

For nine consecutive years (1964-1973) during the second Indochina war, military strikes were launched one after another, releasing an estimated two million tons of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) on this quiet and peaceful country.

From 2008 to 2019, the number of UXO-related accidents fell by over 90% to 25 casualties. Although this is a positive trend, one accident is still one too many. Last year, 40% of those injured or dead on account of a UXO accident were children and almost half of these accidents were caused either by fire-lighting (for cooking purposes and heat) and through directly handling these lethal objects whilst playing with or in an attempt to dismantle them.

To minimize this devastating number to the lowest extent possible, the Government of Canada has been a strong supporter of our efforts to ensure that UXO survivors receive assistance and as many people in Laos are equipped with essential UXO educational material and that teams in Huaphan province can continue to work with locals, educating them on the dangers associated with UXOs.

Our messages for children are starting to find a place in school curricula and among adults through songs, dances, plays and puppet shows.

Interview with villagers during one of the MRE sessions. Photo: UXO Lao

UXO Lao is collecting and reviewing data on a village-by-village basis and consulting with as many households as possible to locate all known contamination in a specific village. This activity generates sketch maps of villages with UXO locations marked on them, as well as GPS coordinates of all “evidence points”, which are then provided to the National Regulatory Authority for their action.

The decrease in UXO casualties we’re seeing today can be linked to years of awareness campaigns. It is those living in rural and remote areas who suffer the most as either a direct victim of UXO accident, or an indirect victim whereby the spouse and family are impacted.

This initiative was unique in that it was the first time that Victim Assistance (VA) activities were carried out in Salavan province, and it was also the first time that a UXO VA project included persons with disabilities as the direct beneficiaries, allowing for a more non-discriminatory approach in line with international norms.

Picture cards used by LDPA during workshops. Photo credit: UNDP Lao PDR.  

One of the greatest outcomes of these training workshops was the support group that was established as a result, as most of the beneficiaries were not acquainted with one another. Not only that, but several village chiefs also attended the workshops, providing the participants an avenue by which to address any future questions or concerns. Additionally, LDPA has permanent representatives based in Salavan province, who will both continue the support the beneficiaries and monitor their progress.

Workshop participants preparing a draft budget for their families. Photo: UNDP Lao PDR. 

Overall, the Canadian Government contribution, totaling 100,000 CAD not only ensured the provision of essential MRE lessons and materials but also to aid persons with disabilities, including UXO survivors, and their families in Salavan province.

With the majority of Lao PDR’s communities living in rural and remote areas and relying on agriculture for a living, once UXO and mine contamination is prevalent, farmers are unable to grow food for their families and in turn, unable to escape the poverty trap.

Without support from donors such as the Government of Canada, the reduction in UXO accidents would not be possible and people nationwide in Laos would continue to suffer the ongoing threat and live life with the dreaded fear of UXO contamination. These two projects for the national UXO bodies, have also contributed to the unique, localized Sustainable Development Goal 18 (SDG18) to remove the UXO obstacle to national development - Lives Safe from UXO.

Written by: Amanda Shiel, Programme and Partnership Support Officer and Lisa Byrne, Programme and Reporting Specialist, UXO Unit, UNDP Lao PDR.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors alone and not the United Nations Development Programme.